Muddled or misguided?

Colin Hart, Rendham, Suffolk

12:01AM GMT 28 Nov 2002

Sir - Robert Jackson makes a well-argued case for de-nationalising the universities (letter, Nov 23). However, Labour's attitude to higher education is largely motivated by our old friends, class hatred, the politics of envy and a scorn of elitism. It owes nothing to the philosophical approach outlined by Mr Jackson, and Conservatives should have nothing to do with it.

They should be exposing the Government's thinking for what it is - at best muddled and at worst misguided - and presenting their own clear policies on higher education.

This Government needs no help in its spinning. The only effect of assisting it will be for large numbers of voters to say, yet again: "There's nothing to choose between Conservative and Labour. We might as well stick with Blair."